The process of judging is quite clear and audited where the email came from EY and the entire process was overseen by them. It helps to establish the sanctity of the judging process which in turn increases the credibility of the results.

Considering the data of the number of people commuting and hours spending on roads are increasing it increases the OOH’s relevancy in the overall media plan.

Therefore, the scope of better treatment and innovation becomes essential. We saw in some of the entries that data has been used for targeted OOH communication.

Having been a Jury member for quite some time, it is good to see the quality of entries improving quite dramatically year on year. Revolution in the OOH space will come about gradually, but it is moving in that direction. I have been a part of this

industry for a decade. In the past we used to visit the campaign sites to check if the creatives are up on the sites, but today we can do all that by logging into a portal.

OOH industry should be data-packed. As we have data points on consumer movements we are able to build suitable strategies. If the OOH industry can leverage the data for effective advertising, that will be great.

"Overall, I feel that the quality of OOH entries has been improving and some of them have been outstanding, while there are others that need to work on their descriptions and the videos that are submitted. Simply compiling and making a video of the campaigns is insufficient. The entries must describe the strategy, consumer insights, and why the campaign was done a certain way for the jury to evaluate them accurately."

"We see this practice at other awards, and I hope that the OOH fraternity also adopts a similar approach towards the same. But my overall experience has always been good, so I have no complaints! I do see that some brands utilise the outdoor medium well, with good innovations and overall great strategy, which I believe is equally important, as it is vital to highlight not only the innovations, but also the strategies that use the medium in a unique manner. And I think advertisers are constantly looking for ways to optimise their output from the outdoor medium, which remains an unconquered challenge."

Some of the entries really stood which shows that the OOH industry is pushing the edge on innovation and creativity. This year we had given enough time to go through the entries, and then shortlist. Round two was crisp and since we had seen the shortlisted entries earlier, that certainly enhanced the quality of judging.

I think the revolution for the OOH industry is some time away and I feel it will largely be driven by digitalization. There will have to be more visual content displayed through digital screens. When that happens the opportunities will be limitless. The industry needs to push the boundaries of creativity and leverage the medium to communicate to the right target audience.

The process of judging is quite clear and audited where the email came from EY and the entire process was overseen by them. It helps to establish the sanctity of the judging process which in turn increases the credibility of the results.

Considering the data of the number of people commuting and hours spending on roads are increasing it increases the OOH’s relevancy in the overall media plan. Therefore, the scope of better treatment and innovation becomes essential. We saw in some of the entries that data has been used for targeted OOH communication.

I saw some spark in the innovations, creativity and utilisation of the medium. The judging process is pretty balanced and well-managed, giving enough time to the Jury members to make considered decisions.

The OOH industry needs to rise above individual goals. The OOH medium has a larger responsibility to make the skyline and city beautiful. If commercial advertising and social communications such as on traffic safety and the like can be taken together, that will be a win-win for all.

The quality of entries was quite good, and so was the judging process. I think year on year with greater use of digital technologies OOH is making good progress. Some of the entries showed how OOH can be integrated with digital. However, when compared OOH around the world, the Indian OOH industry can do a lot more. VIVO is a long-term player in the Indian market and we would like to be where our consumer is. Our broad objectives are –building the brand and to be in touch with consumers.

The entries were quite interesting and the amount of work that has gone into the work is extra-ordinary. The OOH industry has evolved much in the last 3-4 years ago and I think it has boarded the right trajectory.

The theme of this year’s OAC is absolutely apt i.e. OOH 2.0! The OOH industry shouldn’t stop innovating; probably 9 of 10 innovations may not work but the one that works will actually create learning for the others. Always try to use the medium in the best possible way and stick to the brand’s line but do innovate.

Going by the entries that we judged, it seems that all brands from across categories are seen to be doing phenomenal work in the OOH space, especially with innovation. Considering the way media budgets are getting channeled for digital advertising, many marketers are looking at how to justify the spends on print and OOH. When OOH is seen from the innovations standpoint, it appears that the industry is going from strength to strength.

Most of the industry concessionaires and advertisers who have been part of this fraternity for more than 15 years now would remember that they made a vision for 2020 and I remember in most of the cases the vision for the OOH industry would have been a scenario where there is a single currency measurement system. Unfortunately, even as we approach 2020, the single currency is still distant. I feel the industry needs to attract better talent. I do hope that by 2020 we get a single currency, a proper measurement system accepted by the industry and advertisers as a whole. As a medium, OOH is competing with digital, so OOH needs to be interactive and connected with consumers like digital is today.

This year the entries were far better than last year. Definitely the industry seems to be raising the bar. The way digital is being leveraged to lead OOH and investing science behind selecting sites for mapping clusters and etc. really stood out from the entries. Indeed, the industry is changing the game.

While people keeping say that digital is the way the world is moving from a media perspective, digital is also playing a part in the way OOH is shaping. I think the OOH industry should look at it as a big opportunity.

The way the OOH media planning has evolved is reflected in the entries, and that is commendable. It was wonderful to see the way the OOH formats, data and creativity are coming together.

Earlier OOH used to be a reminder medium but now it has become an integral part of the campaign, especially as people are moving from TV to digital. One of the best ways to connect with consumers in a rural environment is through OOH.

OOH has become a critical part of all campaigns so if we bring more transparency in the buying process along with more digital formats, that would bring about great results.

It was great to see that the content for the campaigns were exclusively made for the OOH medium. I still feel that the content is the hero and the way brands and agencies have played with it in different formats was interesting. Secondly, the focus on the technology and innovation has come a long way in the last couple of years. It would be great if brands collaborate with their agencies to be a part of the onsite judging round because even if an impact has been made, it is not presented in that manner. The message for the OOH industry would be to keep innovating.

"While there is innovation happening in the sector, what I don't see is scalable innovation, and I believe that's something I would've liked to see from the entries as well. I believe that OOH is the backbone of advertising and in that respect, I think there is a lot of ground for us to cover when compared to Western markets and the work being done over there. OAA feels like my homeground as I've been here before, and more than a jury member, I'm here as a learner to see what others have been doing, and I think I'm fortunate for this opportunity. must commend the OAA team for the way they have managed the entries, time management and making sure the judging process was unbiased."

The industry should start taking the drafting of entries more seriously. There were some very good ideas but those did not come through very clearly in the presentation. Pure play activations and CSR plugged into activations really stood out in the entries.

There is a very gradual progression in the OOH industry. Definitely the industry is becoming more measurable and better equipped with technology but they are far from ushering in a revolution.

The message for the Outdoor industry is: organise the industry better and measure your work. That’s what clients require from you. Also, bring in more transparency.

"Having been in the media industry for over a decade and a half, I think there are always opportunities to learn new things and this has been nothing short of a learning experience. We saw some great campaigns that were executed very well despite multiple challenges, be it in terms of budget, weather conditions, audience targeting, etc. So, presenting innovative outdoor solutions despite these challenges has been a great experience for me. Emerging from a difficult business period, the medium has evolved significantly and has become one of the most independent and unique mediums that can address clients' needs, in that it can isolate and target specific audience groups which makes it a crucial part of any media plan."

"Being a part of the jury has been a brilliant experience, the quality of work that was presented was amazing which prompted intense Q&A sessions which were insightful. Having spent over 9 hours evaluating entries, I would definitely say it was time well spent."

"From my point of view, of course the DOOH network has started to flourish across, but more than that I see that businesses are employing sustainable solutions for OOH. For example, solar panels are being installed on billboards that generate electricity but moreover it's about giving back to the environment while ensuring that brand messages are still delivered. Such technologies will help brands express their brand properties and I think that's the way of the future."

"Being a part of the OAA Jury for the second consecutive year has been a fabulous experience. The entries that we saw this year exceeded my expectations, and these campaigns reflect the changing belief of brands towards OOH advertising as they begin to realise its potential. It's always a wonderful experience to learn and interact with fellow jury members who come from diverse industry backgrounds."

"While I think DOOH is on the rise, the kind of work we see here does not have the 'wow' factor the way that we see in overseas markets. So, I think agencies and solution providers need to work in tandem and come out with exciting content for the digital platform, and it will definitely help enhance OOH's position among other mediums. Being a part of this jury is always an enriching experience as we get to meet with numerous agency representatives, we see multiple types of campaigns and it is also a great opportunity to fraternise with the other jury members. Overall, it was a delightful experience."

"Until now, I think OOH was always viewed as a 'supportive media' for other mediums, but I think from the entries that we have seen, and the kind of virality effect some of them had, we can safely say that OOH is not merely a supportive medium. And evaluating these entries has been an eye-opening experience as it has inspired me to implement a few ideas into my campaigns as well!"

"I think the rise of DOOH and anamorphic ads is a positive sign, and will definitely aid in establishing OOH media as brands' main communication channel for their products and services as opposed to being a secondary medium. As a jury, and brand marketers, perhaps that is one thing that the industry needs to figure out a mechanism to target the right audience at the right time, and that will help elevate the medium a lot more.

"I have one message for my digital team, and that is we need to pull our socks up! The kind of work that we are seeing in the outdoor medium is very creative and innovative at the same time which is creating the impact that is being noticed by not only marketers but also business leaders and decision makers. I think being part of a group such as the OAA Jury makes a lot of difference. As we evaluate innovations and campaigns ranging from ambient media to green initiatives, it is important to have a diverse jury panel with people from different industries, experiences and expertise coming together at one table. The different voices that you hear and different perspectives that you get, help with assessing entries from a different lens than our own."

"It was quite an interesting day, I thought quite a few entries met our expectations and some even exceeded them! It was interesting to see the work done by various agencies, and so there was definitely a lot to learn today and I'm taking some ideas with me to incorporate in my own brand plans as well! I think the trends in OOH marketing are definitely addressing the needs of the brands, but advertisers need to play their role by providing agencies with well defined briefs. Agencies can't execute a great campaign in isolation, it's a partnership with the brand and for the campaign to succeed, the latter needs to provide clear objectives and understand its target audience well, I think that is when the magic happens!"

"Being a part of the OAA Jury is always an interesting experience, and I always get to learn a lot here. I always go back and discuss the works that I've seen with my team and encourage them to explore new things, and OOH as a medium is important for me because we invest heavily in the medium."

"I think the whole process for OAA was robust and I appreciate the OAA team for making sure the entire process, right from auditing to evaluation, was done by the right people and for also putting together such a diverse jury panel to judge the entries, so I think whoever is the winner, they definitely would have deserved it.”

"I think post-pandemic the buzzword is engagement; so I think engagement followed by innovation, that's an avenue all brands would love to explore beyond what has already been done already and it was quite interesting to see that brands are attempting to go that extra mile to try and make their ads more engaging, and the quality of has definitely improved over the last 3-4 years."

"As a marketing professional, I look at these campaigns with great interest as it's a learning process for me. It was an engaging session, as we saw brands taking risks in trying to do something different. And also the efforts of the agencies to try and innovate, media selection process, among others. Overall, it was a great experience for me and I definitely learnt a lot as well."

"When you look at digital, one may think that it's a buzzkill for the OOH industry but in fact the opposite is happening when you look at this year's entries. The marketing efforts are now integrating with OOH instead of the mediums competing with each other which is great development for marketers like ourselves. There are so many opportunities for DOOH, but also a chance for format innovations for numerous brands, and that's something I enjoyed at this year's awards. There was a lot of media integration and messaging that was supported by innovation. So, hopefully we will see more integration and less competition amongst the mediums."

"I feel like advertisers have started to create their own medium. Within OOH, there are many sub-segments now with LEDS, 3D screens, protruding pieces of flex that create unique shapes and forms that link back to the brand. While there are some trends, marketers are perhaps empowered to create their medium now. Being a part of the jury for the second time, I must say it's a seamless experience with a rather tech-savvy team behind the whole operation. You can tell the importance of the awards because of the effort that has been put into the entries - be it the content, videos, descriptions, images, and what have you - it's very detailed. Overall, I think it's very well organised, well managed and the sincere effort that has been put into this, is evident."

"I see that the entries have come from diverse backgrounds, and it was interesting to see that so many of them were activation-led. I feel that OOH advertising has given wings to many schools of thought, particularly when it comes to the integration of the outdoor and digital medium."

"Gone are the days when outdoor advertising was synonymous with simply a billboard. The medium is transforming rapidly with its digital integration, and that's exactly what I saw while looking at the entries. I would say it's been an interesting experience. The initial phase of judging, which was conducted online, gave us a chance to really deep dive into each category and each entry. The in-person session helped us shortlist among the ones selected in the first round, and I must say it has been organised very well. E&Y is monitoring the entire session, providing transparency of the process and I believe it will lead to a good outcome."

"Absolutely, the presentations have been fantastic this time around. I have been observing the entries, and I think the best part was that we weren't just looking at the static billboards, a lot of excitement was generated using the OOH medium such as the use of anamorphic ad displays. I think what the industry was losing to the digital medium, is being recaptured and now is time for the outdoor advertising industry to revive itself and come out of the shadows. The creatives need to be more intriguing, and exciting for the consumers so that the recall and awareness increases and it induces more people to talk about it. I think things are falling in place. From what I saw this time, there wasn't just a particular communication, but there was a story being built - the entire campaign idea was very well presented, and I believe this is making the difference. It was humbling and exhilarating at the same time, and I thank VJ Media Works for this opportunity. It's been an exciting period of not only judging entries but also a learning experience seeing how various brands leverage the OOH medium."

"It was a great learning experience looking at the entries from various categories, and I expected nothing less. Acoss brand segments, there has definitely been innovation in terms of the formats being used, but the creatives themselves need to be worked upon. But in terms of innovations, there has been quite some change and it ticked all the boxes for me, and I believe this is changing the OOH landscape. It's been a great experience overall, I got to see many campaigns from brands across numerous verticals and definitely got to learn a lot as well. I would like to thank the OAA team for giving me this opportunity."

"I think it's a wonderful initiative, and I would like to thank the team for having me here. It's been a great experience going through all the entries and seeing the creativity in terms of copies, and medium innovation. OAA is also a great learning platform for best practices that can be shared with the industry at large. Kudos to all the brands and agencies for their work, as they are the flag bearers of the OOH industry. I think this year's entries were very exciting, and we saw thorough competition across industry segments. The good part is that the standard of innovation has gone to the next level, and a lot of new and standout formats have emerged as well. Moreover, brands are trying to connect with consumers which shows that OOH is no more just a saliency tool, it's a medium to engage with customers in a meaningful way which I believe is more important."